Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Friday that the state's flagship women empowerment initiative, the Mukhyamantri Mahila Udyamita Abhiyaan (MMUA), has captured national attention following its successful implementation in Bihar, where it played a crucial role in the NDA's overwhelming victory during recent assembly elections.
Bihar's Adoption of Assam Model
During the vote counting process in Bihar, Sarma highlighted how Assam's women empowerment model was replicated in Bihar and became a decisive factor in the electoral outcome. The Bihar version, named "Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana," was officially launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 26 and involved direct transfers of Rs 10,000 each to 75 lakh women across the state, totaling an impressive Rs 7,500 crore in disbursements.
The scheme represents a significant initiative by the Bihar government aimed at making women self-reliant and promoting women's empowerment through self-employment and livelihood generation opportunities. Beyond the initial grant of Rs 10,000, each beneficiary can access additional financial support of up to Rs 2 lakh in subsequent phases of the program.
Assam's Implementation Strategy
With Assam preparing for state elections in the next six months, Sarma's comments underscore that women's empowerment will form the cornerstone of his campaign strategy. The Assam government has already commenced distributing cheques under MMUA to women self-help group members across various assembly constituencies since October.
To date, the program has reached over three lakh women beneficiaries spanning 37 assembly constituencies, with each receiving the first installment of Rs 10,000. At a recent event held at Rupai Higher Secondary School playground, Sarma emphasized that the Mahila Udyamita Abhiyan "is not a vote-centric scheme, but a mission" to provide seed capital to eligible women from self-help groups.
Comprehensive Reach and Scaling Mechanism
Assam currently boasts an extensive network of approximately four lakh women SHGs in rural areas and 30,000 in urban centers, collectively engaging nearly 43 lakh women under the Assam State Rural Livelihood Mission and the National Urban Livelihood Mission.
The Assam model operates through a structured approach where each beneficiary receives an initial installment of Rs 10,000, which is then pooled within the self-help group to create a collective capital base of Rs 1 lakh. This consolidated fund enables members to launch joint enterprises, initiate individual businesses, or expand existing family ventures.
The government has established a monitoring mechanism to review capital utilization after six to seven months. Beneficiaries who demonstrate productive use of the initial installment become eligible for enhanced support—Rs 25,000 in the second phase and Rs 50,000 in the third phase—enabling them to scale their enterprises and strengthen their economic independence.
The MMUA scheme was formally announced in the state's budget for the current fiscal year, positioning women's economic empowerment as a key priority for the Assam government as it approaches the upcoming electoral contest.
